Republican John Kasich remains in command of the Ohio governor's race with a 51 - 41
percent likely voter lead over Democratic Gov. Ted Strickland, statistically unchanged from
Kasich's 50 - 41 percent edge October 5, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released
today, two weeks before Election Day.

Kasich's lead is built on a 59 - 32 percent margin among independent likely voters,
and a 64 - 29 percent spread among white evangelical Christians, according to the
independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University survey conducted by live interviewers.

President Barack Obama remains unpopular among Ohio voters who disapprove 56 -
40 percent of the job he is doing and say 32 - 9 percent they are less likely rather than more
likely to vote for Strickland because the President is campaigning for the governor.
Independent voters say 35 - 4 percent that Obama's campaigning makes them less likely to
vote for Strickland.

"John Kasich's lead has remained the same and the sand is slipping through the hour
glass. If Gov. Ted Strickland is going to turn this election around, he needs to do it quickly,"
said Peter A. Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "But
the obvious question is, 'What can Strickland do in the two weeks before Election Day that he
has been unable to do so far?'"

"Although it is hypothetically possible, it's difficult to see how anyone can win a
statewide election when they are getting beat so badly among independents. The race may be
a dead heat among women, but it is a landslide among men," said Brown. "President Barack
Obama's 63 percent disapproval rating among independent voters is an extremely heavy
anchor around Ted Strickland's neck."

Not only is Kasich ahead, but only 8 percent of his supporters say they might change
their minds, compared to 12 percent of Strickland's backers.

Strickland is viewed favorably by 43 percent of likely voters, including just 34 percent
of independents, and unfavorably by 47 percent. Those numbers are better for the governor,
however, than his job approval rating, which shows voters giving him a 54 - 39 percent
thumbs down.

Kasich, a former congressman, gets a favorable opinion rating from 47 percent, with an
unfavorable score of 33 percent.

"The economy is the defining issue in the race for governor. Strickland holds an
overwhelming 89 - 6 percent lead among the likely voters who think the economy is
improving, but they make up only 19 percent of the electorate. Kasich dominates the 36
percent who think the economy is getting worse 76 - 13 percent. The 45 percent of voters
who think the economy is staying the same back Kasich 50 - 43 percent," said Brown.

Kasich's lead in the horse race is backed up by his 52 - 38 percent lead as the
candidate best able to turn around the Ohio economy and his 48 - 40 percent lead as the
candidate who most shares voters' values.

"Anything is possible in politics, but if Gov. Strickland is able to pull out a victory it
will take the kind of final drive that makes history," said Brown.

From October 12 - 17, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,188 Ohio likely voters, with
a margin of error of +/- 2.8 percentage points.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts
public opinion surveys in Florida, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Ohio
and the nation as a public service and for research.
For more data or RSS feed- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201,
or follow us on Twitter.

1. If the election for governor were being held today, and the candidates were
Ted Strickland the Democrat and John Kasich the Republican, for whom would you
vote? (If undecided) If you had to choose today, would you vote for Strickland
or Kasich? (This table includes Leaners)

TREND: If the election for governor were being held today and the candidates
were Ted Strickland the Democrat and John Kasich the Republican, for whom would
you vote? (If undecided q1) If you had to choose today, would you vote for
Strickland or Kasich? (This table includes Leaners)